Legendary NFL Kicker Tom Dempsey Dies of COVID-19

Tom Dempsey, the man whose 63-yard field goal stood as a NFL record for more than 40 years, has lost his life to COVID-19. He was 73.

Dempsey kicked the field goal for the New Orleans Saints, a game winner against the Detroit Lions on November 8, 1970. The 63-yard field goal shattered the 56-yard record set by Bert Rechicar of the Baltimore Colts in 1953. The most remarkable thing about Dempsey's achievement was that he set the record without any toes. Dempsey's NFL career lasted a decade. After setting the record with the Saints, he would play for the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers and Buffalo Bills. Dempsey's record was tied on several occasions, but not broken until 2013 when Matt Prater kicked a 64-yard field goal for the Denver Broncos against the Tennessee Titans.

Dempsey would return to New Orleans after his football career. His home would be flooded during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 damaging a great deal of his football memorabilia. At the time, Dempsey said, "The hurricane flooded me out of a lot of memorabilia, but it can't flood out the memories."

In a cruel irony, Dempsey would be robbed of those memories after being diagnosed with dementia in 2013. Dempsey had been living in a retirement community in New Orleans and was among more than 50 members who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Fifteen of those residents have now died including Dempsey. Their deaths are no less cruel than Dempsey's or too many other people who have succumbed to the disease in retirement, nursing homes and other long term care facilities across the country. Sadly, this has turned out to be cruelest kick of all. R.I.P.